The End
by Squidkid11
Summary: It's been 7 years since the fateful explosion, and Mobius has been turned upside down and inside out. Eggman got his world domination wish, and Sonic's gone. But there's still hope in five close friends of the lost hero, also known as Soundwave.
1. Prologue: 7 years ago

Before You guys hate on me, Doomsday Fan-fics are actually quite common. And this one is lite by comparison.

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**Prologue: 7 years ago**

This was it. Eggman's one last vie for control.

XXXX

Red eyes widened impossibly as the massive explosion sounded, and the yellow hedgehog struggled to maintain his balance on the wildly rocking spaceship. His eyes showed an emotion stronger than it had ever been before:

Fear.

He threw his arms in front of his face, and began to scream out a phrase in one last desperate attempt for safety. "Chaos-!" The rest of the ship exploded in a loud boom, the center of the blast directly in front of him. The entire world below held its breath, waiting for a yellow blur to streak out of the wreckage.

Silence. Nothing stirred aside from whatever wreckage was still hurtling away from the blast point.

XXXX

Blue eyes stared up at the sky in worry, and the small fox wrung his fingers as blast after blast showed the faraway battle taking place.

An impossibly loud sound made its way to earth, the sound seconds after the sky lit up in a massive explosion. A name tore from the fox's throat in a desperate scream, before the massive shockwave following the blast tore the words from his mouth and knocked the small fox to the ground. He pushed himself up, staring blankly into the sky, all hope in his eyes fleeing. A piece of debris hit the ground beside him and he glanced at it, and then whispered a word as he plucked it from the ground. "No…" The small fox closed his eyes as tears began to drip down his cheeks, and he clutched the shattered emerald piece to his chest.

XXXX

A red echidna watched the explosions, his face showing nothing. Inside, emotions swirled around him, threatening to make their way onto his face. Fear, worry, hope, anxiety, and more swirled. He put a hand over his face, squinting as an explosion shot brilliant light across the sky, closely followed by an enormous boom and a shockwave that knocked the stocky echidna to the ground. Worry finally showed on his face as he pushed himself into a sitting position, his eyes tilted backwards, his mouth gaping in silent shock.

He whipped around as a crack sounded behind him. His eyes widened in fear. "No!" He yelled, racing to where the Master Emerald lay. He knelt down next to it in despair. He picked up a piece of the shattered jewel and watched the light-the power-fade from it. The shards hit the ground with a clatter, and he turned his face to the sky, a rare gleam at the corners of his eyes. "We lost…" he whispered, closing his eyes and turning to kneel forlornly at the foot of the once-great Master Emerald. A pool began to form next to him, another drop occasionally stirring the surface.

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Hope you guys enjoyed, please leave a review if you liked it, and I'll take the feedback into account.


	2. Soundwave

Here's the next one. Back to present.

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**Chapter 1: Soundwave**

Search parties had long-since stopped coming. No one talked about that fateful day anymore, but everyone remembered it. Going up to the wrecked space craft was considered taboo. There was no law against it, but an unspoken rule was obeyed by all. It sat forlornly, not moving. It sat just outside the planet's orbit. But pieces would occasionally make their way back to earth. Not often, but one could sometimes find a twisted, misshapen piece of metal lying about. Or-if you were lucky (or unlucky) enough-you might find a lifeless shard of a Chaos Emerald.

Eggman had survived, the only sign he bore was a scar running from the top of his bald head, over one eye, then stopping right before his mouth. A horrible twist in Fate's winding path. Only a few short months after the blast, the doctor had risen up, and-with the blue hero gone- took over the world took only a matter of days. Originally, there were rebellions rising up against him everywhere. But, they soon stopped forming. None of them stood a chance. Only one person had been able to stand up to the Overlord for long, and that person was lost in that fateful explosion seven years ago. There was one rebellion still. A rebellion that knew enough about the Ruler that they stood a chance. That group consisted of a small group of the hero's closest friends.

Tails had founded it, in honor of the lost hero. Amy was second to join. Shortly after was Knuckles, who decided he no longer needed to guard the broken master emerald. Silver and Shadow had left their respective posts, and had become much-needed assets to the team. They were incredibly exclusive, and only if you could pass certain tests with undeniable ease were you allowed to join. This group was known as Soundwave.

XXXX

Tails peeked quietly around the corner, his once-soft blue eyes had taken on a hard tone, and they now glanced around warily. He turned back, motioning silently to the other two behind him.

Amy lifted a questioning eyebrow, and held up her fist. Tails smiled, grinning widely and nodding. The pink hedgehog smiled back, and a hammer appeared in her hand. It looked different than it had used to, it was no longer the bright pink and yellow, but a blue and black. She was much taller now, but not so tall it looked odd. She whipped around the corner, the large hammer smashing mercilessly into the head of the robot that was unfortunate enough to be standing there at that moment. A red shape shot by, his violet eyes narrowed and a snarl planted firmly on his face. He swung his fists without hesitation, and with practiced ease. The echidna was thicker than he used to be, his chest and arms holding slightly more muscle than they used to, but not and unusual amount. His legs were longer, giving him an incredible amount of reach as he swung his foot around, taking out multiple robots in one swing. Tails followed last, his twin tails swinging as weapons instead of a mode of transportation now. His once cheery blue eyes held a merciless, unforgiving tone. A robot's fist shot towards him, and he dodged it, drawing back his own to counter it. A hole blasted through the center of the robot as the fox threw his fist forward again. He dropped his fist as the robot collapsed. He turned his gaze and leapt at another robot, this time pulling a contraption out of his belt as he leapt at it. The robot melted in seconds as the beam hit it.

XXXX

The small swarm of robots was quickly dealt with, and Tails rushed to the computer. Amy smashed one last robot into the wall before joining Tails behind the computer. His fingers ticked quickly away at the keys, cracking the password easily. He lifted the radio out of his belt towards is mouth. "Time, come in Time. This is Air. Come in."

"Time here, what's up?" Silver's voice crackled over the radio in response to his codename.

"Are you at the computer yet?" Tails said, his eyes scanning the documents that popped up.

"Just arrived. Space dealt with the last robot only a moment ago."

Tails grinned, imagining Shadow as he threw more Chaos Spears. "Good, password should be 'Mobius,' only it's spelled funny. Em, Zero, Bee, One, Vee, dollar sign." He said.

A pause followed, then: "I'm in."

"Good, search 'Robot,' then click the first program." Tails said, saying the steps as he did them.

Another pause. "Okay. Now what?"

"Click, 'abort.'" Tails clicked the mouse, and there was the sound a TV makes as it shuts off echoing around the fortress. Tails grinned. "That should do it. Change the password to the usual, and let's get out of here. Normal meeting place."

"Roger." The group of three rushed away from the computer, Tails had changed the password quickly, S0vndvvau3. He smiled, as he made his way to the exit, Amy and Knuckles close behind.

XXXX

The found the two hedgehogs already outside, and Tails smiled with a wave. He opened his mouth to speak, then the alarm sounded behind them. Tails grinned and rushed away, the other following. "Any trouble?" He panted to Silver.

"Not a thing." The hedgehog replied with a smile.

They headed towards the secret entrance. The rock slid easily out of the way, then back into place because of the levers underneath. Once inside, there were countless password protected doors, each with a different password. Tails typed the last one in, and the doors slid aside.

The inside was polished and gleaming. There were five tunnels leading away from a set point, each led to a different member's house; making it easy to quickly leave for missions. Tails smiled and dropped his tool belt on the rack, the others did the same.

The fox turned to the others. "Mission successful?" The others all nodded. "Same time next week?" More nods. "We're done then." The others walked away, and Tails followed. They always kept these meetings short; as it was necessary in order to maintain secrecy. He grabbed the uniform hanging on a different rack as he walked towards the tunnel that led to his house. The fox pulled the uniform on with a grumble. He was always unhappy at the end of a mission when he had to put the uniform back on. It looked much like the outfit Eggman used to wear back when he and Sonic battled it out, but it was modified slightly to fit Mobians. He put his hand on the keypad and stepped inside as the doors slid open and the bookcase slid back. His house returned to its normal look, the door disappearing like it was never there. He flopped down onto the couch and flipped on the TV.

"…report of another raid on President Robotnik's base, the culprits are still at large and…"

Tails tuned the TV out with a smile. _That was fast._ His attention was dragged back as Eggman's face flashed onto the screen. He didn't look happy.

"I am sending out this broadcast all over Mobius, requesting your compliance."

Tails scoffed inwardly. _Requesting. Ha! Demanding is more like it._ He returned his amused attention back to the screen.

"There is a rebellion group out to overthrow me by the name of Soundwave, no doubt in honor of the blue nuisance, Sonic." Tails turned his attention outside the nearby window with a confused face. The tree outside swayed from a breeze.

_That's strange…I could have sworn I heard someone scoff out there…_ He shrugged, looking back at the screen.

"The number of members is unknown, as is the members in it. I am requesting that those who know anything about this organization and its members report it to your local authorities. You will be greatly rewarded. If it is found that you are withholding any pertinent information, the consequences will be dire." Tails shuddered, as he was certain most others did as well. They knew all too well what the "consequences" were. There had been many since Eggman had stepped into power. "That is all, have a Robotnic-riffic day!" Tails turned outside again, he swore he heard someone laugh. The tree continued to sway, but that was all. He turned back and clicked the TV off, unnerved.

_Oh well. It's probably just my mind being over-active after a mission._ He shrugged to himself, turning off the lights and heading into bed.

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Tails. You're paranoid.

Hope you enjoyed, and review if you did! Any feedback is welcome!

P.S. Special Thanks to Lord Kelvin for some awesome feedback! I really appreciated it!


	3. Air

Next one's out, more info on the wreckage, and some info on how the world works now that Eggman's in power and seems to be sane again.

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**Chapter 2: Air**

_"Be careful, Sonic."_

_Super Sonic paused from where he was about to push off the ground as Tails grabbed his arm. The hedgehog smiled, bending down until he was level with the small fox. He lifted a gloved hand and ruffled the three tufts of fur on the fox's head. "Heh. Don't worry. I'll be fine." The hero flashed his signature thumbs-up and grin. "If you ever get worried, just remember that I've beaten Eggman thousands of times, and I'll always be with you." He poked his finger into the fox's fluffy chest, making Tails giggle when he reached a ticklish spot. "Right here." Sonic smiled kindly before shooting upwards._

_"SONIC!" Tails screeched, tears flooding his eyes as the explosion rocketed across the sky, closely followed by a loud boom._

The fox sat bolt upright in his bed, his alarm clock buzzing next to him. He panted heavily and wiped a hand over his eyes, brushing the tears away. He glared at the Eggman alarm clock vehemently before slamming a fist onto the "Off" Button. It abruptly stopped ringing, reading 7:00 a.m.

He threw the covers back grumpily and swung his feet out of bed. He pulled the outfit on again, still grumbling. He hated clothes. Probably something he had picked up from Sonic. The hedgehog couldn't stand clothing other than hand or footwear. Tails agreed with him; aside from his tool belt, that is.

He pulled the cereal out of the cupboard, glaring at the face on the cereal box. "Robotnik-O's, a healthy part of your balanced breakfast!" _Balanced. Ha. _He thought to himself, pouring a bowl of the tasteless cereal. He munched on it without gusto. Not much he did ever held fun for him anymore. Only the missions and his private laboratory/workshop really. Everything else seemed boring to him. He glanced at the wristwatch he was required to wear. Eggman's mustache was cocked at a weird angle, each side representing the hands on a clock. 7:25 a.m. The fox scrambled out of his seat and wolfed down the rest of his food, then rushed to brush his teeth and finish getting ready. The bus to work left at 7:30 a.m. Sharp. Missing it meant he'd have to wait for the next one and be an hour late for work; which started at 8:00 a.m. officially. This had strict punishments, as Tails had found out his first day when one of his "colleagues" was late.

He raced to the bus stop, the bus pulled up just as Tails skidded to a stop. He pulled out the bus card, his line of work got free rides as long as they had this card. He showed it to the bus driver then took his seat next to Silver. He was surprised; the hedgehog rarely ever took this bus. Tails turned sympathetically to his comrade. "Miss the last one?" He asked.

The hedgehog nodded. "Good thing I always try to get there an hour before I have to, for things just like this." He whispered.

"Smart. I should try that." Tails said, thinking of how many times he had to run. He glanced outside as the kids lined up for the school bus. The two-tailed fox should be in school, but he passed all the necessary tests with A+'s the first month there, so he was allowed to go to work at a very young age. The two sat in silence for the rest of the ride, as most did. Tails waved to Silver as the hedgehog got off; Silver's work was one stop before his.

The next stop was the last one, and Tails plus two others filed off the bus in silence. There were countless other busses that came here, and the three that got off Tails' bus here was only a tiny fraction. Hundreds of Mobians worked here. Tails glanced up at the gray building where he worked. He had the "honor" of being part of the designing and programming crew for Eggman's police force. Tails would have loved to make faulty blueprints for the enforcement robots, but he would be found out. His line of work also meant that there were frequent visits from Eggman himself, as the "President" loved to contribute his own ideas to the forces.

Tails let out a heavy sigh as he sat down in his station. First part of the day was designing for half the crew while the other half programmed, then they switched at lunch. Tails always started with designing. He sat down on the stool and rolled the blueprint open. He'd been working on it for about a week now, and he was certain he could finish it today. He didn't find any joy in his work-though it was his favorite pastime-because he was building robots for the police crew, not weapons to destroy Eggman's bots. He looked down at the white lines on the blue paper and sighed. He pulled out the pencil and ruler and began adding the smaller details.

An hour into the work day, Tails jumped as someone started breathing down his neck, watching him work. Tails struggled not to flatten his ears as he turned to face his watcher. "Good day, Mr. President." Tails barely managed to keep the hiss out of his voice.

"Good day, Prower." The man replied. Tails' ear twitched and he struggled to keep it from flattening. He kept his eyes lowered and open.

"May I help you?" Tails said, a hint of a snarl in his voice.

Eggman's eyes narrowed around his signature glasses and he spoke with venom pouring through his voice. "No, I am merely here to observe. You may continue."

Tails managed to not shiver at the icy tone. He nodded stiffly returning to the line he was drawing.

He expected Eggman to continue along the line and observe the others, but he stayed for another hour. Tails managed to finish the blueprint in this time, and handed it to Robotnik. "Does it meet your standards, sir?" He said, carefully keeping his voice obedient.

The man took the blueprint and scanned it over. He was obviously searching for something to criticize. When he found nothing, he huffed and handed it back to Tails. "There's nothing I can see. I would have changed a few things were it me designing, but it'll do." He said stiffly.

Tails smirked inwardly. _Lies._ "Is there anything in particular you wish me to design? A robot for a specific task, perhaps?" He asked.

Robotnik narrowed his eyes. "Have you heard of the raids on my base, Prower?" He asked.

Tails kept his face and voice carefully neutral. "Yes sir."

"Could you build me some surveillance bots, perhaps?" The fox noticed how closely Eggman was studying his expression.

"Yes sir." He replied. "Anything else?"

"None for the moment. I must continue my inspection, keep it up. I'm expecting top-notch robots from this place." He said.

Tails sighed in relief as Eggman took his massive girth and began to study someone else's work. The fox turned back to his station and pulled out a fresh piece of blueprint paper, his hands working easily as his mind began to wander in its worry. _He suspects me. And with good reason, I was closest to Sonic. Does he suspect the others? I hope not…_ His thoughts continued to swirl with worry.

XXXX

11:30 a.m. rolled around and Tails rolled up the blueprints carefully and straightened his workstation as the lunch bell sounded. Everyone stood and began to head towards the center room. He grabbed a tray and stepped into line, nodding or shaking his head as the people serving dished his plate out.

When he walked away from line, he held a tray that had a glass of water, a few pieces of grilled chicken, a pile of beans, a small pile of tater tots, and a piece of vanilla cake. He took his seat and one of his closer colleagues sat down next to him. It was Lucas. The fish was an oddity among them, but no one could deny his ability to design machines. He had permission to wear a large bowl on top of his head as well as the uniform. The bowl has actually made by Tails, which was how the two had grown so close. "What did the President want? He seemed really interested in what you were doing." The fish spoke, his voice echoed oddly because of the speaker that was hidden on the metal plate that kept the water from spilling out. He had to take his own food to work, as Tails couldn't figure out how to make a panel that he could put food through. The fish was a vegetarian, so it was easy for him to find things that he could drop into his bowl to eat.

Tails sighed and dipped a tater tot absentmindedly into the small blob of ketchup. "I'm not really sure. I think he suspects that I'm part of this rebellion group we keep hearing about on TV. Probably because I was so close to him." Tails kept his voice innocent and pondering, as though he was shocked that Eggman would suggest it. He also refrained from saying his brother's name; there was an unspoken rule that you shouldn't say the blue hero's name.

Lucas's eyes opened wider than they already were. "What? That seems sort of odd for him. I've never had him ask me that, or watch me for that long." He paused. "I don't know whether to call you lucky or not." He said.

Tails shrugged, a piece of the chicken was already gone. "I don't know either." He said, resignedly. He was lying, of course. He was unlucky, and he knew it.

XXXX

Lunch finally ended, and the employees all rushed to their new stations. Tails quickly sat down at his assigned computer and pulled up the program he had been working on for a few days-this one wasn't one of his designs; he was just told what to do.

His fingers ticked at the keys and he typed in more and more code. He finished the attacking portion just as someone walked up behind him. He turned. "Mr. President. Good to see you again." He hated acting this obedient. Something inside hated him for needing to act so obedient all the time. What he really wanted to do was punch the mass of fat in front of him.

"You too, Prower." Eggman looked up at the screen. "The SWAT Bots. I see. Very important." He glanced down again. "You've been given an important job, Prower, don't mess it up." The threat and implied meaning was obvious. Eggman suspected that Tails would attempt to sabotage the programming.

_Idiot. I would never be that obvious._ Tails scoffed inwardly. "I wouldn't dream of it, Sir." The fox answered, restraining his eyes from glaring up at the man.

"Good." He walked off, his bulk wobbling with every step.

Tails shuddered, turning back to the keys to work on the next piece of coding.

XXXX

5:00 p.m. finally rolled around and everyone saved their progress before shutting down the computers. They all filled to their respective bus stops, Tails returning to the same bus stop he arrived from. Seven bus stops later, the fox hopped off the bus with a few others and walked to his house.

Like the night before, he flipped on the TV. He wasn't surprised when they announced that there were no raids, but they did air Eggman giving the warning and offer about the information. Like before, when Eggman gave his outro, Tails ran to the window at the sound of loud laughter and a thump of something hitting the ground. Also like before, he only saw the swaying tree.

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Longer one, but it's important. Hope you guys enjoyed! And review if you did!

Tails. You're still paranoid.


	4. Space

Look! Another wild update has appeared!

Anyway, if it isn't clear, all of the next few chapters will all be on different days. Just so that's clear.

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**Chapter 3: Space**

_Shadow stumbled oddly as….something….happened. He wasn't sure what, but it didn't feel pleasant. His face pulled into a mildly worried frown before continuing on his mission. He ignored the odd looks Omega and rouge gace him. "C'mon. Let's keep going." He stalked to the front of the trio again, rubbing his chest. Something felt missing…._

_XXX_

_"Where's that faker? He promised he'd be here." Shadow grumped, pacing angrily back and forth._

_Rouge stared at him with wide, sad eyes. "You mean you don't know?" She whispered._

_"Don't know what?" Shadow stopped pacing, catching Rouge's forlorn tone._

_"Shadow…" She whispered, looking away. "Sonic's dead." The black hedgehog just stared, standing perfectly still aside from his rapidly blinking eyes. A strange sound escaped his throat and he rushed away before Rouge could see. "Shadow!" The bat called after him, but he was already gone. _

_He found and old closet and slammed the door behind him, before pounding an angry fist against the wall, his face screwed up in a grimace of sadness and pain, tears leaving small trails down his cheeks. Despite what everyone thought-and what Shadow had once believed himself-he actually cared about his rival. And not even the black hedgehog himself knew it until just now. "What'd you do, Sonic?" He whispered, his fist still on the wall, his eyes closed and mouth locked in a pained grimace._

A loud ring interrupted the dream memory, and Shadow grumbled, slamming a fist on the happily ringing alarm clock, nearly breaking it; again. He grumbled out of bed, taking his time as he got dressed. He pulled at the collar of the fancier suit, it pushed up against the splash of white fur on his chest, which got in his face.

He ignored the cereal box in the cupboard-which was probably stale anyway, judging from the last time Shadow had opened it-as Ultimate Lifeforms had no need for such trivial needs as food. He had only slept last night because he had come back from a mission.

He walked outside calmly, the bus was waiting for him. It was always the same driver, and when Shadow had missed the bus the first time, and he made sure the bus driver knew. He hadn't missed it since. No one went against Shadow's wishes and lived to tell the tale. Wordlessly, he handed the money needed to the terrified bus driver, who stammered: "Th-Thank y-you s-sir." The squirrel flattened his ears as the hedgehog got on board and quickly drove off, needing to meet the work deadline.

There was always an empty spot on the bus; right next Silver the hedgehog. Shadow had made sure of that his first day as well. They both took the early bus, though Silver had missed it yesterday. Shadow didn't think much of it. Silver took the early bus by choice, just for that reason. They sat in their usual silence, Shadow only waving when he got on, then again when Silver got off, a few stops before his.

Once again-wordlessly-Shadow got off the bus and strode up the path to the university. No, he wasn't going to school. He was a modern history professor. One of the best, for a few reasons. He knew his history; being alive for all of Sonic's too-short life, and many years before then. Another reason being that he didn't give lectures, he told stories. They were his way of honoring the lost hero; and his entire class had become a big fan since. The last reason was that all of his students adored him for his lessons, but were terrified of him for his punishments and difficult tests, not to mention the unapproachable air he gave off. He stepped into the classroom; all his students were already there. Nobody was ever late, Shadow hated tardiness, and they only ever missed class if they were sick or out of town. Nobody skipped Shadow's class. All the students promptly straightened up and chorused: "Good Morning, Professor Shadow."

He only grunted in response, not unusual for him. He never brought and books with him. While his memory was terrible, he remembered all of the important events without fail. His crimson eyes looked them over sharply. "Where were we?" He went straight to the point.

His piercing eyes looked over the scant hands that were raised before selecting one. "Mica."

The orca promptly replied. "You were going to tell us about how you and Sonic went on board the arc to stop it from crashing into Mobius, Sir."

Shadow nodded, his mind searching for those memories. "Right. Now, before I tell you this story, you must understand that my mind wasn't straight. As I told you, my memories were jumbled and not straight, so I worked for Robotnik at the time."

A collective gasp swept through the group, for a few reasons. That Shadow would ever work for the tyrant was nearly unthinkable to them, and also that Shadow referred to the president by Robotnik alone.

Shadow glared at them, crossing his arms. "You've all had me as your teacher for a long time, I don't see why you're surprised that I called him that." He said, raising an eyebrow. They all immediately lowered their gaze murmuring apologies and excuses. Shadow sniffed. "I don't want excuses or apologies, I just don't want it to happen again, affirmative?" A chorus of yeses answered him. "Good. Now, where to start…"

XXXX

The class listened in rapt attention as Shadow told the story. He rarely used a different tone of voice or actions, but he described the story in such detail, every student was imagining every scene in his or her mind, taking every detail Shadow gave into account. "Sonic and I were having something between a battle and a race, we were on opposite running conveyor belts, I was walking with it, Sonic against." Shadow recalled. "We talked for a short while before, and that was when we were officially introduced…" He trailed off, trying to remember. "I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was him in a nutshell. I was working for Robotnik, though at the tme I-One moment." Shadow paused as a rap sounded on the door to his classroom. "Discuss the meaning the ARK had in the history of Mobius with your table member." Immediately, all students did as told, talking rapidly to the other at his or her table. Shadow stalked out of the classroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He turned back to the one who interrupted his class. "What do you want, Robotnik?" He grated.

"That's Mr. President, Mr. Robotnik, or President Robotnik to you, rodent." The fat figured snapped back, glasses gleaming dangerously.

Shadow stalked closer to the man, making the president back up. Shadow glared at Robotnik, his voice icy cold. "You may have gotten away with calling Sonic a rodent, 'Botnik, but to you, I am Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog, Professor Shadow, or the Ultimate Lifeform, nothing less." He hissed.

The man stepped back, unnerved by the hedgehog's small rebellion. "I could have you arrested for talking back to the president right now if I wanted to." He said, attempting to appear tough.

Shadow bared his teeth. "I'd love to see you try."

The two had a staring contest, one that Shadow was the victor in. "I came to observe your teaching methods." The man said with false bravado.

Shadow snorted. "Fine. Come in." Just before he opened the door, all he students that had gathered around it scurried back to their seats; their eyes wide and minds whirling with the new perspective of their professor. They had known that Shadow was tough and wouldn't back down, but he had just done a few things that made them believe all of his stories even more. 1) He had defied the President. 2) He had called him by an old Nickname. And 3) He had gotten away with it.

Shadow swung the door open, all students firmly in their seats, and allowed the president to enter before him. "Class, we will have a watcher for part of today's class-"

"Who said it was only part?" The human interrupted.

Shadow turned to the president, his eyes gleaming dangerously. "Me. Weren't you listening?" Eggman swallowed as Shadow turned back to his class. "Now, where was I?" He asked.

Once again, Mica piped up. "You were telling us what Sonic said to you."

Shadow nodded. "Thank you, Mica, but a hand next time." The orca nodded, her blue eyes apologetic. "Now, Sonic finally introduced himself, and during out race/battle, we…"

Shadow continued his narration, ending five minutes before the bell rang for classes to switch. "We ended up stopping the ARK. The rest is for another time."

The kids were all awed, and Mica raised her hand to ask a question. Shadow was about to call on her when: "Everything I've heard and read say that the real Shadow died after that battle, and you are only a copy of the real thing."

Everyone in the room stiffened, and Shadow's shoulders shot upwards, only to stay there. The class held its breath. Robotnik knew he was treading on incredibly thin ice, and he enjoyed it, knowing that any move the hedgehog made against him could get the Mobian locked up or killed. Shadow didn't turn as he spoke. "Then I suggest you check your sources, Robotnik," A poorly concealed gasp swept through the class. "Because I was there, and I remember all of it." He hissed, eyes closed as he struggled not to throw a Chaos Spear into the human's face.

Eggman deflated as Shadow threw the response back, he was hoping the hedgehog would lash out, and he could remove one of the five thorns that had been bugging him for so long; longer than a certain blue one, in fact. To retain some of his dignity, Eggman harrumphed. "Have it your way."

The bell rang.

XXX

Two classes later, lunch came around. Shadow entered the food cafeteria, and a space around him immediately cleared. This wasn't normal, he would normally socialize even if it was just a little bit. But nobody wanted to be in Shadow's way when he was upset. And right now, he was giving off an air fury. His shoulders were hunched and his movements were fast and jerky. He kept his hands firmly in his pockets, when you did see them, they were clenched tightly, as though was restraining himself. His eyes were narrowed and hard, his mouth a thin line on his face while his ears often flattened. Nobody really approached him. He ignored all the restaurants, making his way to an empty table on the far side of the hubbub, in a secluded area under a staircase. He sat down and stared at the wall, brooding.

A soft clatter of dishes announced another setting a tray down near him. He flicked an ear and glanced over, but said nothing. It was Mica. "P-Professor Shadow?" She stammered. "M-May I sit here?" She looked incredibly nervous, but her kind eyes were what Shadow needed at the moment, not the terrified ones he had been receiving as he stalked into the cafeteria. He nodded tersely. She took a seat across from him and began to eat the fish on her plate. She would occasionally look up at Shadow, who had his eyes on the wall beside him, though he was fully aware of Mica's flickering gaze. He waited for her to speak first, knowing full well that he terrified most students when he spoke. "Are you alright?" She finally questioned, aware she was treading on thin ice. After earlier, the ice was growing steadily thinner.

He sighed, sagging his head between his hands. "I don't know. What the President said really got to me. It's been a question I've been trying to answer for a long time, and hearing him say it…" Shadow abruptly stopped, becoming aware of how much he was letting out. "But it's not your problem." He gruffed, glancing away.

Mica's gaze said otherwise, though she didn't pursue the matter. Something was on the professor's mind, and Mica wasn't someone who let that sit well with her. Finally, she thought she had pinpointed the problem after a few more minutes of silence. "What was he like?" Her voice came again, startling Shadow with how kind her voice was.

"Who?" Shadow asked innocently, though he knew full well who she was referring to.

"Sonic. You've told us about your adventures, but never actually described him. We all know what he looks like, and his general personality, but not the finer points." She answered.

Shadow glanced up at her. She was so much like the lost hero, not only the fins that stuck out behind her on her head and back, but in her personality. Shadow sighed, letting old emotions flow again. "He was…annoying…at times, he constantly teased others, though we all knew they weren't really meant to hurt, and almost never did. He bragged a lot, and was incredibly cocky and arrogant." Mica listened quietly, knowing she had struck home on what was bothering the hedgehog. "He often got on everyone's nerves, as his jokes sometimes came at the wrong time. He loved to travel, and hated to stand still and do nothing. He was constantly adventuring and traveling, though he always found time to spend with his friends. He had incredibly fast wit, as well as everything else he did." Shadow chuckled before adding. "He ate really fast too. Should've seen him with chili dogs." Mica smiled inwardly at the side of the professor she had unlocked, the open and kind one, and watched memories swirl over his eyes as he remembered the finer points of the long-lost hero. "But for all his less-desirable qualities, he had many good ones. He could always cheer you up, and got along easily with most people. Nothing you did would ever really hurt his feelings. He did have a cautious side though, despite all of the times he got himself into trouble. He was able to judge when to pull back and when to keep going, and he would stick fast to that belief." Shadow smiled slightly as he began to conclude. "No one could begin to doubt his loyalty to his friends, nor the caring side he held." He sighed and scratched an itch on his cheek, though Mica swore she saw something shining in the corner of his eye. "He went the way he would have wanted to, protecting the planet he knew so well, and the friends he loved so much. If he could have changed anything, it would have probably been to take Robotnik with him."

The cafeteria began to clear out and Mica picked up her empty tray. "Thank you, Professor." She said, standing. "It…really meant a lot to hear about Sonic from someone who would give me both sides of him, not just the good."

Shadow nodded. Mica smiled and began to walk away. Shadow stood as well, ready to head to his next class. He paused, staring at the retreating orca. "Mica?" He called, and the girl turned. "Thanks." She smiled again continued walking. The other kids gawked at her as she went by. Shadow stood near the table, one hand resting on it. He smiled slightly, once again comparing the two. The cafeteria had completely emptied out by now and he walked across the center, ready to head to his next class. He paused and stared around as a voice echoed in his ear. _Thanks, Shads…_ The black hedgehog glanced around, searching for the child who was playing a prank on him. Nobody played a prank on the Ultimate Lifeform and got away with it! Except…

Finding no one, Shadow shrugged it off, considering a long-lost memory and headed to the next class he would teach.

XXX

Shadow finished his last class and headed out the door, back onto the bus. This bus driver wasn't terrified of Shadow, but was incredibly wary. Shadow handed him the bus fare and took his usual seat, considering the conversation he had had with the orca. He sat down next to Knuckles, in the same seat he was in on the first bus ride. Knuckles was in the spot next to him now, as Silver went home later than Shadow, while Knuckles left for work before the two hedgehogs were even awake. They grunted to each other, the dust on Knuckles threatening to make Shadow sneeze. Ten stops later, he got off, still pondering.

He stepped into his house and immediately pulled off the suit, then stepped outside and leaned against the railing of his front deck, staring up at the sky. A tree rustled near him and the words echoed through his head again. Another smile crossed his face at the memory, and went back inside.

* * *

Why's this one so long?

Anyway. if Shadow seems a tad OOC, he's supposed to. Another note, the very first paragraph is when the Chaos emeralds broke. So of course Shadow can feel it.

Hope you enjoyed! If you did, please review! It's helps me update faster.


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